YOUTH PROGRAM

Creative Movement    |    Modern    |    Ballet    |    Hip-Hop    |    Jazz

Semester long Creative Movement (CM) classes for children age 3-8 focus on coordination, movement patterns, rhythm, class etiquette, and creative choices. We offer creative movement through ballet, modern and hip-hop. While each of these styles covers similar milestones, the differences lie in music, vocabulary, attire, and genre specific movements.

Modern dance explores the concepts of space, time and energy. Improvisation and composition are paired with a rigorous technical foundation to build strength, foster creativity and encourage freedom of movement. Beginning level students explore the roots and basics of modern dance. As students progress, they engage with the more challenging and contemporary aspects of the form including floorwork, inversions, partnering, release, performance quality and more. Our staff attends to the physical, intellectual and emotional development of each student based on current wisdom and care for the body and the mind through dance practice.

Ballet at SADC emphasizes proper technique, strength, musicality and expression through movement. Our program is designed to support beginning to advanced dancers; if a child or teen is excited about ballet, we are excited to teach them.  

Our faculty aims to move beyond stereotypes related to ballet, teaching children in a manner that is engaging, challenging and age-appropriate. We attend to the physical, intellectual and emotional development of each dancer based on current wisdom around care for the body and mind through dance practice.

Hip-Hop classes at SADC start with hip-hop culture, history, and various forms and styles of hip-hop dance. Classes explore both the fundamental movement vocabulary as well as hybrid newer forms. Dancers learn to create and collaborate with classmates and to explore their own expressive voice through free styling and cyphers. Hip-hop is a vibrant form with rhythmic footwork, challenging floor moves, and stylized and specific gestures and arms. Hip-Hop at SADC gives students a window into the origins, history and evolution of various street styles that inform today’s contemporary and popular dance cultures.

Jazz is a diverse form that is known for its strong dynamic energy, distinct vocabulary and stylized movement with roots in social dance and popular music. Jazz at SADC is based on contemporary movement with a classical jazz foundation. Class incorporates elements of ballet, which helps students build a strong technical base.  Technique is paired with choreography that cultivates an expressive emotional style. Jazz provides excellent training for aspiring actors and musical theater performers due to its performative and dramatic focus.